Three-punch bending press

ABSTRACT

A special punchholder and punch arrangement enables three different bending punches to be attached to a vertical press-type tube bender.

United States Patent Inventor Paul V. Gregg Racine, Wis. Appl. No. 814,773 Filed Apr. 9, 1969 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 Assigne'e Tenneco Inc.

Houston, Tex.

THREE-PUNCH BENDING PRESS 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 72/389, 72/396, 72/415, 72/472 Int. Cl B2111 9/07 Field of Search 72/389. 380, 381, 386, 404, 413, 470, 472, 416, 384, 369, 397, 415, 396

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,021,886 2/1962 Ferris 3,279,236 10/1966 Lance... 3,429,157 2/1969 Huth 3,472,057 10/1969 Pepsico 3,483,725 12/1969 Gregg 3,499,309 3/1970 Gregg Primary ExaminerChar1es W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-Gene P. Crosby Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce ABSTRACT: A special punchhuldcr and punch nrrnngcmcnl enables three diflercnt bending punches to he attached to a vertical press-type tube bender.

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THREE-PUNCH BENDING PRESS BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the purpose of this invention to enable the ram of a press-type bender to carry a plurality of different punches simultaneously so that different pipe-bending results can be produced without shutting down the press to attach a new bending punch.

The invention accomplishes the foregoing and other objects by means of a punchholder which can be secured to the ram of a bending press and which provides the means to receive and support a plurality of punches.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevation, partly schematic, of a vertical pipe-bending press utilizing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the punches and punchholder attached to the ram of the press in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the punches and punchholder shown partly in section;

FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of two punches that are attached to the front of the ram;

FIG. 6 is a perspective exploded view showing mounting means for one of the punches; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing mounting means for the rear punch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A vertical pipe-bending press 1 of a type available on the open market has a ram 3 which is capable of vertical movement to move the punch means 5 toward and away from the wing dies 7 and 9. These are pivoted on their axis 11 and 13 for swinging movement, as indicated by the arrows l5 and 17, the wing dies having semicircular or other suitably shaped grooves 19 and 21, respectively, to receive the bottom part of a pipe (not shown) being bent.

The bottom face 23 of the ram 3 has a mounting member 25 which is adapted to receive and carry in a conventional manner the punchholder 27, such as by means of rails fitting in the grooves 29 in the sides of the punchholder. In accordance with this invention and its preferred embodiment, the punchholder 27 is adapted to carry the three-punch members 31, 33, and 35. Each has a semicircular or other suitably shaped groove 37, 39, and 41, respectively, to cooperate with the channels 19 and 21 in receiving and bending a pipe. The punches 31 and 33 are illustrated as being formed on the same radius but the punch 33 is of a special type such as the serrated punch described in my U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 596,859, filed Nov. 25, 1966, entitled Pipe Bending Apparatus and Method of Bending," and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,056. The punch 35 is larger in diameter than the punches 31 and 33 so it is apparent that the three different punches will give three different bending results. The punch 35 has relieved comers 42 to avoid interference with the wing dies as seen in FIG. 1.

The rear punch 31 is preferably located directly below the ram bottom face 23 and, as seen in FIG. 2, it has aT-shaped slot 43 which is concentric with the centerline of the punch and arranged to receive a T-shaped nut 45. The holder 27 has two cylindrically shaped bottom portions 49 which are separated by a space 51 that is aligned with the vertical countersunk bolthole 53 and which fit in bearing relationship on the cylindrical surface 55 which is formed on the top of the punch 31. As seen in FIG. 3, a bolt 57 extends through the bolthole 53 and threads into the T-nut 45 to hold the punch 31 in a desired angular position tightly against the bottom faces 49 of the holder 27.

The bolt 57 extends through a cross hole 59 in a shaft 61 that fits inside thecylindrical bore 63 in the punchholder 27.

Whenpositioned within the bore 63, the shaft 61 has a forwardly pro ecting portion 65 which 18 used to carry the two punches 33 and 35. To cooperate with the shaft 61 the lower punch 33 has a semicircular recess 67 which has front and rear portions formed on the same diameter as the large diameter portions of the shaft 61 and an intermediate portion 69 formed on a small diameter to fit on the small diameter portion 71 of the shaft 61 and thereby fix the axial position of the punch 33 on the shaft 61 while permitting angular movement of the punch on the shaft. The upper punch 35 has a similar groove 73 to fit the contour of the shaft 61 and prevent relative axial movement but permit relative angular movement. The recesses 67 and 73 together form a circular opening 75 as seen in FIG. 1 and the fit of the punches on the shaft 61 is tight enough so that inadvertent angular movement is avoided. The flat diametrical faces 77 and 79 of the punches 33 and 35 are held in facing relationship to maintain the opening 75 in closed condition by means of retainer plates 81 and 83 which fit in recesses 85 and 87 that are formed in the front faces of the punches 33 and 35, suitable bolts 89 being used to secure each retainer plate to each of the punches.

In operation, it is apparent that any one of the grooves 37, 39 and 41 when positioned in alignment with wing dies such as 7 and 9 can be utilized to bend pipe to a desired angle and with a desired result. Bending equipment now available provides wing dies 7 and 9 for alignment with either or both the punches 31 and 33. It is apparent that when the punch mechanism is in the position shown in the drawing, bending upon lowering of the ram 3 will occur. If it is desired to bend pipe to a larger radius, the front punches 33 and 35 can be rotated on the shaft 61 through so that punch 35 is on the bottom and cooperating with the wing dies.

Iclaim:

I. In a press-type tube bender or the like having a ram that reciprocates, a punchholder adapted to be carried at the bottom of the ram, a first punch positioned on the bottom of the punchholder, first means for securing the first punch to the punchholder in a desired angular position, said punchholder including a shaft portion projecting forwardly of the bottom of the ram, a pair of semicircular punches having complementary grooves for fitting on opposite sides of said shaft portion, and second means for connecting said pair of punches to said shaft portion to be carried by said punchholder in a position laterally spaced from said first punch.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first means also attaches the shaft to the punchholder.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first means includes a curved slot in said first punch and a nut in said slot and further includes a hole in said shaft and a bolt extending through said hole and threading into said nut.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second means comprises retainer plates securing the pair of punches together.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second means comprises retainer plates securing the pair of punches together. 

1. In a press-type tube bender or the like having a ram that reciprocates, a punchholder adapted to be carried at the bottom of the ram, a first punch positioned on the bottom of the punchholder, first means for securing the first punch to the punchholder in a desired angular position, said punchholder including a shaft portion projecting forwardly of the bottom of the ram, a pair of semicircular punches having complementary grooves for fitting on opposite sides of said shaft portion, and second means for connecting said pair of punches to said shaft portion to be carried by said punchholder in a position laterally spaced from said first punch.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first means also attaches the shaft to the punchholder.
 3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first means includes a curved slot in said first punch and a nut in said slot and further includes a hole in said shaft and a bolt extending through said hole and threading into said nut.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second means comprises retainer plates securing the pair of punches together.
 5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second means comprises retainer plates securing the pair of punches together. 